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Topic: Yellow comb (Read 2105 times)

Checked my TBH this AM and the color of the comb had somehow become yellow as egg yolk. I did feed them some 1:1 to help them adjust to their new box last week, so the comb is full of sugar water, but I still find the color (while attractive) unusual.

The normally very gentle bees, also seemed grouchy and I took a couple of hits. Hurt my feelings.

Comb color goes from white to yellow to orange to brown to black as it ages. Most of this color change is due to pollen color mixing into the wax. It is a gauge of how old the comb is.... but it's better to just write the start date on the frame so you know when to get rid of the old comb.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

In early summer they are making the comb and immediately filling it with lots of light colored nectar up high so there is less pollen staining, and it stays white. Later on they seem to draw it out slower, and if they are drawing it is probably closer to the brood and therefore pollen and higher traffic. Plus the fall flowers seem to yield yellower nectar. At least that is my observation.

I agree that the wax in the picture is probably from the type of nectar and flower.

Comb color goes from white to yellow to orange to brown to black as it ages. Most of this color change is due to pollen color mixing into the wax. It is a gauge of how old the comb is.... but it's better to just write the start date on the frame so you know when to get rid of the old comb.

just curious, why would you need to discard old comb? is there any way to clean it up?

There are a few reasons you don’t want really old comb hanging around. They accumulate pesticides over time and that can be bad for the bees. A more practical problem though may be that wax moths love old black combs. If you don’t rotate it out, the wax moths may do it for you.

i have no experience for comparison & will take your word for it. i thought it sounded odd when i read it. 3 of my hives were new this past spring. there is some darker comb in the 3 used hives that i bought in august. the difference in the smell of the older hives is quite noticeable. not as sweet as the new hives.

I hived a very small swarm on my roof a month ago. Their first wax comb was as white as snow. Moved them to the country, and on last inspection the combs (new drawn comb in the nuc) were yellow, not as dark as sundog's, but closer to his than white.

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"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings”Lewis Carroll

The old timers loved using the comb until it became too impractical or too thick, or too black.. it was (and still is by some) believed that the old comb provided the best methods for attracting and keeping keeping bees. It eliminated the need to 'purchase' foundation, It could be used over and over in as many hives as one had. Think about how easy it must have been to 'see' eggs sitting in black comb.

Unless diseased it was NEVER thrown away. Evidence implies that as pesticides increased, so did bee problems w/ bee health, so the process of removing/replacing old comb took a while (a generation or two) to embrace among old beeks.

Removing/replacing old comb is relatively new to beekeeping.

thomas

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"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Most commercial beekeepers have at least some very old comb, both brood comb any honey comb. They try to keep them separate as the old dark brood comb can darken the honey and lower the grade but will use brood comb for honey if it's needed.

Scott

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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."